Surrey resident Julie Parker says her community mailbox has been broken into three times since autumn, with the latest break-in coming on Wednesday. The multi-compartment mailbox was still broken and taped up on Saturday.

"It's terrifying for some people, especially the older people in our community," Parker told CTV Vancouver on Saturday.

She said she plans to buy a separate, private mailbox so her personal information will not be stolen.

Tim Armstrong, of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, says he's seen a rise in the number of community mailbox break-ins recently in the B.C. area.